Clasp



(No Model.) F. E. RANDALL.

CLASP.

No. 341,276 Patented May 4, 1886.

fll'wwm N. PETERS, Phnm-Lnhc m r er. Wishinglon. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT A OFFICE.

FREDERECK E. RANDALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,276, dated May 4, 1886,

Application filed March 17, 1886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. RAN- DALL, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clasps for grasping and holding parts of garments, as stockings, cuffs, &e., and has for its object to provide a clasp capable of firmly grasping the article to be held, and not liable to be accidentally opened or disengaged from the article.

The invention consists in a clasp composed oftwojaws pivoted together so they can swing in parallel planes, and provided between their pivoted and grasping ends with a doubleheaded pin adapted to slide in slots formed in the jaws, said slots being formed to permit the jaws to swing, as indicated, to grasp and release the article, while the pin prevents the jaws from separating from each other laterally, as I will now proceed to describe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a plan view of one form of my improved clasp, the jaws being opened. Fig. 2 represents a similar view, the jaws being closed. Fig. 3 represents a section 011 line w :12, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a plan view of another form of clasp embodying my invention.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all'the figures.

In carrying out my invention, I pivot together at a two substantially flatjaws, b b, said jaws being superposed or laid one upon the other sidewise, and the pivot a being located at one end, so that the jaws are capable of swinging in parallel planes and of separating at their grasping ends 2 3 when opened, as shown in Fig. 1, and of bearing upon each other at their grasping ends when closed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In the jaws, between the pivoted and grasping ends, I form diagonal slots 0 c, in which is adapted to slide a pin, e, having two heads bearing against the outer sides of the jaws, as shown in Fig. 3. The slots 0 c are arranged to permit the pin 0 to move backwardly toward the pivot when the grasping ends are separated and forward toward the grasping ends when the latter are brought together. It will be seen that when Serial No. 195,485. (No model.)

the jaws are closed upon a portion of a garment interposed between them the doubleheaded pin prevents them from being separated laterally or moved from each other in opposite directions, excepting by the slight yielding of those portions of the jaws between the grasping ends and the pin 0, such yielding being just sufficient to enable the grasping ends to accommodate themselves to the thickness of the fabric or article interposed between them, and not sufiicient to weaken the hold of the jaws on the interposed article. In fact the movement of the pin toward the grasping ends, caused by the closing movement of the jaws, causes the grasp to increase in tightness as the jaws close, by decreasing the length of the said yielding portions. I prefer to form a slight head or lip on one or both of the grasping ends, as'shown in Fig. 3, to prevent the jaws from slipping in the direction of their length on the article grasped.

Thejaws, when made in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are adapted to hold cuffs, and when used for this purpose I prefer to connect with them a device whereby they may be secured to a shirt-sleeve, said device being in this case a single piece of wire bent to form a loop, 4, formed to engage a hook or eye, 5, oh one of the jaws, and two side arms, 6 7, one of which terminates in an inwardly-bent prong or pin, 8, and the other in an eye, 9, arranged to receive said pin when the arms are in their normal position, as shown in Fig. 2. Each arm has a loop, 10, through which passes a bent .portion, 11, of the other arm. When the arms are pressed toward each other, as shown in Fig. 1, the pin 8 separates from the eye 9, and when the arm are released the pin springs into the eye. By engaging the pin with a shirt-sleeve, and then allowing it to spring into the eye, the securing device is attached to the sleeve, as will be readily seen.

When the jaws are used to support a stock-,

jaws pivotally connected at one end, so that l taching device composed of the loop 4, arms theyareoapableofswinging in parallel planes, 6 7, pini8, and pin -receiving loop 9, as set and provided between theirpivoted and swingforth.

ing ends with slots and a double-headed con- In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 meeting-pin adapted to slide therein, the arname to this specification, in the presence of rangement being such that said pin is moved two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of from the swinging ends by the opening of the March, 1886.

jaws and toward said ends by the closing of 1' 1 the jaws} as set forth BREDLRICI; E. RANDALL. IO 2. The combination, with the slotted jaws \Vitnesses:

H. O. WILLEY, O. F. BROWN.

pivoted together, as described, and provided with the sliding connecting-pin e, of the ati 

